New York Bzzzzzz

Ah New York New York. It's been a week now since I left and came back. This has been my fourth night back to work and finally write something. I have no idea how I've sat idle for twelve hours everytime and manage not to do anything.
Well it was a 6-hour drive from Virginia to New Jersey where I'm gonna be staying at my friend's place. There were two ways to get to Jersey, either the interstate that'll go through DC or the highway that'll go through some bay bridge and some towns. I took the highway since getting around DC is a bit crazy and I didn't wanna get lost. The highway is pretty much a straight shot and it had a nice view though I was a bit nervous at the baybridge. It amazes me sometimes how they went about building bridges and tunnel though they make me nervous driving through them. It was about 30 miles of just being in the water and I sure am glad when that was done with. The drive took six hours which isn't too bad since I was just getting a feel of the road I'm gonna be taking. I got to my destination around 3 pm which isn't too bad. I didn't feel tired which was good considering that was 24 hours of no sleep so far. It was good seeing my friend again and I'm glad it just felt like we were hanging out in Japan the day before. I had to keep pinching myself though. At times, it still feels that I'm in some sort of a dream, as weird as that might be. Being in the US, driving across states, going to New York, just about everything. I often times pause and try to soak in all that is happening.

So we just chilled for a little while then got ready to go to New York City which is about an hour away by train. Josh has never gone either so we had a bit of a problem trying to get to the station. We were driving back and forth through the same streets before eventually stopping at a gas station and asking for directions. It was a bit odd though, since the exit that we took had a sign that talked about trains and rails so dunno what happened. I ended up going in to ask since I was the one who's wanting to go real bad. So did that, and the street that we happened to be on was the way to get to the train station so got real excited over that. We arrived at the station, parked and the car and I was just running up to the station to get tickets just in case the train arrives. Well it did about ten minutes later. Thing is we weren't sure that it was the right train or not. So I went up to the conductor while Josh stayed by the ticket machine which was about eight feet away. I asked him if "Is this the train that goes to the New York?" "Yes, and we're leaving." I jumped on the train and right then the door closed and it started moving.

All I could do was look through the window while Josh stood there. The conductor asked if that guy was my friend and I said Yes. I started walking and grabbed a seat just thinking I'll go to New York by myself then. Well,the conductor radioed it in apparently and he had the train stopped and my friend Josh was able to get on. Josh sat next to me while the train ran its course. Then, a minute later, while I was playing with my cell, a guy came up to us and started saying things. I didn't know what he said but when I finally looked up, he must have been the train captain, he was talking about nobody makes his train stop and how it is his train and it runs on his schedule, not the passenger's etc etc. Well he didn't want us on his train and pretty much told us we're gonna have to get off at the next stop. I just nodded since I didn't really wanna argue. I could tell him that we didn't ask for them to stop the train, but can't really win. He IS the captain. I thought about just pleading with him, tell him it's my first time but doubt he would have cared. He looked really pissed that he pretty much stayed by our seats until we got to the next station and left the train. So we did that, and come to find out the next train was't gonna come for another hour. It was alright really, if it weren't that cold! We didn't bring jackets with us so that was fun. And the wind just loved blowing that night too. I found a seat and hugged myself to try to keep warm.
I sensed that Josh just wanted to call it a night and just go back. He had a friend that lived nearby he called and they talked about him just picking us up so we can go home. I really didn't want to feel like I was making him go so I told him, 'You can have him get you if you want.' I was so intent going to New York that I would not have let anything stop me. Well to see it, and also to be able to meet a fellow blogger, Rey from My Secretive Life. I've spoken to him earlier that day and he was gonna be out and about since his band is going to be playing that night. We missed seeing them play already since their performance was at 2130 and during that time, we were sitting around Princeton Station. Maybe it was stubborness, but I wanted to able to say that I got to meet him after I go back home at least. It would have been a bit of waste, I think if we were pretty much in the same city and didn't get to meet. Kinda like with someone in LA *whistles Well New York will always be there, I know but meeting a blogger in person is like the bonus that came with the trip.

Well we finally reached Penn Station at about 2330. We tried finding a clothing store that might be open since it was real windy that night and of course, everything was closed. We didn't know where to go, so walked around the main train station trying to see what's around it. We passed by the Empire State Bldg which actually glows at night in red and green, if I remember correctly. We eventually went to McDonald's to grab a bite until we figure out where to go. I didn't have a clue what's there, but I didn't care, I'm in New York!! Lack of planning maybe, but I sorta did the same when I was in Japan. Just free-planning, hop on the train and let it take me anywhere. This time, I'm in the US and getting lost won't be much of a problem since the signs are readable this time around. Texted Rey and asked him where he was since Josh said that Rey knows what's the area at least. I felt like a bit of a bother so I didn't try calling Rey right after I texted hehe. He might have been with his friends (which he was) and I really can't expect him to look at his phone everytime to see if I texted or not. We eventually spoke with him on the phone and he had to explain his location since we were jus gonna catch a cab to get where he's at. Gah, I hope he's just not being nice lol (just kidding)

It was probably a 15-min ride or so since we had to get to the 2nd st from the 34th street. Naks, I'm talking about numbered streets and everything, and not the ones that needs to be avoided either. I was just so excited staring out the window looking around the city. I might have been a moth for all I know since I'm a sucker for bright lights. I get all giddy just being near them. So we finally made it to Urge which is in the ....ummm... *Creeps to Rey's and checks East Side is where it is. Places I only used to hear about. But I'm the luckiest guy on the lower east siide. Coz I got wheels and you wanna go for a ride.

It was good, we hang around Urge for a little bit. I got to meet some of his friends, and talked with them. I wasn't talking much now that I think about it. Booo, I don't know where. I get too excited I don't speak much I was all smiles though, just looking around. Some woman started talking to me, and introduced her three other friends, another girl and two guys but I went back and stuck around Rey and company after I grabbed some drinks. Josh said that someone was sizing me up head to toe but I just refused to look at that direction :D

After that, we went to Opaline? though it was relocated that one weekend I came there. Opaline moved, Jersey and NYC had overcast weather, it is soo working out my way. It was still fun. We drank and danced til about 3 am or so, it was great. Dancing along to pop, not hip hop dawwwg. Know what I'm sayin'!! Then we stopped by Nathan's to grab some food and called it a night. Rey was kind enough to offer us to stay at his loft since what I intended to do was to walk around the city 'til the sun comes up and train starts running Fletcher was awake so got to play with him for a while before going to bed. Fletcher's just plain adorable though I was jumpy when he tries to bite. I know he wouldn't but it still made me jump. Hehe, I was real glad though. I still can't believe I had the puppy in my arms. Kawaii!!
Well finally went to bed and didn't wake up til about noon. I was the last one to rise but it was all good. Rey's place was really nice. It overlooks a bay I think and you can sit there and stare at the buildings, and look up at the clouds.

Josh and I left Rey's around 1300 and he dropped us off at this one street so we can just hop on the gypsy bus to get back to the train station. We did just that and really didn't walk around much since it was still windy. So made it back to the dorms, and just ordered some Chinese food and saw The Exorcism of Emily Rose on DVD. Then pretty much falling in and out of sleep the whole night.

Around noon, we just grabbed lunch and then I headed out after that to go back to Virginia. It was a good little get-away and definitely will be doing it again. As much as I loved taking pictures, I didn't get to take any pictures but I will next time. Like MacArthur puts it 'I shall return.'

How would you not know...

Ottosan..

Just testing to see if this works. I spoke with my dad earlier so kinda fits.

It's gotten hot in here

It certainly will be my weekend in 90 minutes or so. Yiipeeeeee! Really looking forward getting off since I'll be heading up north right after. It'll be a 5-hr trip from here to Jersey, but it shouldn't be too bad. Working all night, and going driving, figured I'll just take a nap once I arrive at my friend's house. Well, a room would be a more suitable word since he lives in the dormitories. I'm excited to see him since it's been about a year now since he left Japan, and got transferred to New Jersey. I certainly miss the old gang. Good times, good times now that I think about it. It was definitely more close-knit overseas as far as it goes being in the military. Worked with the same people, hang out with them after work. Have lunch together, go sightseeing together.

I'm sure it'll be nice seeing an old friend. We might even make a trip or two to New York, and then to Philly. Well scratch the might part as for New York, we ARE definitely going. It probably would be way bigger than I'm expecting it to be, but even just setting foot in the Big Apple would get me all excited. Yeah, I can be that easy sometimes. It'll be cool to meet a fellow blogger but if not, I think it'll still be fun. That'll just be a bonus, but NY would be quite something. I know I really shouldn't be shoulding this or that, it should be fun, it should be awesome etc etc Just take it all in when I get there. As Mr Happysad has mentioned recently, I'll try not to use words, to avoid clouding it with past experiences. Probably be harder than it seems, since the city feel would probably remind me of London town *sigh

30 mins and counting down. Still need to do a bit of packing, woke up a bit early than usual but at least, I got to do all the dishes and ummm, that's about it. Mostly was singing and dancing to Alison. Coz she's my number 1, I'm like a dog to get you. The melody. Well, and the dancing too. I go gaga over a song more whenever I learn the choreography to it. Just need to be sure that the oven't off off when I leave. I left it on all night when I went to work, thank god it didn't start anything. No wonder it was so hot when I walked in.

Everybody can get offered a job

That's what I try to tell myself. I've put up a resume and surprisingly got some responses within the first week. It's good and all, but it's throwing me off a little. I was intent on going to school full time after finishing my stint in the military, but now I'm not too sure. It'll be good to go to school, and get it out of the way though I know it'll take a few years to finish it. Sometimes I wonder what it is like to be a full time student, and just have a job on the side, at a clothing store or something. I'm looking into being a waiter though, it'll be nice to get to meet people from all walks of life. It probably wouldn't be all glamorous, but it'll be definitely something different everyday. It really seems that a degree makes a big difference in the civilian sector. It'll be nice to just focus on school full time, and it is something I would want, but when the family comes in to play, I'm having second thoughts. It'll be a bit hard to provide for them when I'm just working part time.I'm single but feels like I'm married....married to parents, that is. There's more to it that I can write about later on, and that's what I'm trying to do when I started this. I said I was gonna be open about things, yet I watch what I write and hold back on matters that I wanna put down sometimes.

I'm not even sure where to live after I get out. The job offer's been here in Virginia so far, but if I find a job in the bay area, I definitely am taking that one! I got like four places I'm considering, stay here in Virginia or move somewhere in Florida, move and live with my cousin in Colorado for a bit, or to the bay area where my dad lives. Me and him, or was it Him and I? Anyways, he's mentioned it before that I could live with them if I decide to go to school in Cali. It'll be really nice considering I really don't know him much. The most we've spent with each other is four months in a lifetime so definitely have some work to do on that one. It'll be good to know him more but at the same time, I'm not really sure. He doesn't know about me, and from what I noticed when I lived with them, they're not really too accepting of the gays, so hmmm. Might be a bit hard trying to cover that up, and try to dodge all their questions about which or what girl I'm dating, etc etc

I was supposed to go to North Carolina Tuesday morning but my friend called the night before I was gonna leave and told me to just come some other time. She had some family matters to take care of so I just let it be. I was real excited to visit her too since I haven't seen her in almost two years, but what can you do. I was really bummed out since I was really looking forward to go out of town. I just had that mindset where I was gonna be spending my time off somewhere else. I got close to just hopping on the train and going to New York. I got really, really close but figured I'll wait it out and plan it a little. Well I'm doing it this weekend so will see how it goes.

On a night like this

One more hour to go before I leave for the day which will be mostly spent sleeping. Schedule got switched to night shift so been working twelve hours which hasn't been bad at all. We're working Panama Schedule which works 3 on - 2 off - 2 on - 3 off so it's been good. It can be a drag sometimes working twelve hours during the night, but it certainly is better than days. As much as I like talking with customers, it can drive you nuts picking up phone calls one after another for the whole day. I'm really patient but lusers push me on the edge at times I love the helpdesk though, so can't complain. I'm gonna be done with the military at the end of this year and kinda thinking if I'd want to do this in the civilian sector. I've been looking at some job postings, and I wouldn't mind working for a private sector where I would actually know who my customers are. At the moment, we have over 10,000 customers and I really don't get to meet any of them face to face. I know there are a lot of cute ones out, if only I get to see them damnit


This week just really flew by. It's the 10th already!!! It was just like yesterday that I went out to some bar. And so, we finally got to go to the club on a good night. It seems that people come out on Fridays and Sundays to the one we went to called The Cactus. They had this thing called Drag Race which is pretty much two guys putting on some dress and wigs and getting on a wheelchair and wheel their way around the cone and back to the starting line. It looked fun at the time but it'll get boring seeing that week after week, well maybe just to me.

It was good though, so we ended up staying right until the club closed. The music was alright, I prayed to all the gods for them to play some dance songs but didn't happen. It was all hip-hop which obviously I'm not a big fan of. Put on some giddy songs!! Coz you're my number one, I'm like a dog to get you yea yea yea yea Goldfrapp, Kylie or Madonna Scissor Sisters for pete's sake Something i can sing and dance along to. I just can't rap, is all.

I ended up getting some girls' digits, though I hope she knows I don't like women THAT way. I just chit chatted with her for a little bit, and got her to dance a little with me. It was funny though, how it was her friend who told me how she thought that was so sweet of me. Isn't that what people do at clubs though? Meet strangers you can dance with. Though to find someone you can go home with, hmmm, probably won't happen to me.

Shift change will be happening in a few so gotta go. Have a good weekend everyone!!!
Ooops, have a good WEEK, WEEK, it's just getting started for y'all.

A kick in the A

Well, it's been three weeks today since the roommate moved in and by the time I write, he should be on his way out. I really haven't mentioned much about the roommate situation except when he was moving in, and now moving out.

A little backtrack, he moved in to the apartment on the 9th of this month. We just communicated via e-mail five days before that and bam, that he was. He seemed like an alright guy from the e-mail and the phone conversation that we had. Same age as I am, used to be in the military, got out and is trying to settle in to the civilian life once again. I figured help a fella out since that might be me one day. Well not might actually, but WILL be in about eight months. Anybody wanna take me in?

Well here was kinda the silly part. I let him move in without putting money down or anything. He said that he was waiting on some money after his mechanic tools got sold back in New York. I was just like ok, just give it when you get the money. I really didn't think much of it. Funny how it was my friend, JD and my cousin, Nani that wasn't too happy about it. They were kinda worried that the roomie, Ry was just taking advantage. I didn't get the feeling that he was though. The boy needed direction, from what it seemed like. He had this ambition to become a musician, yet didn't have a back up plan. He applied to some departments to become a cop around the area, but their training wouldn't start 'til around the summertime. And so in the meantime, he needed a job right.

Being without a car did put him to a disadvantage, but maybe if I saw him trying to find other ways, it would have been fine. After applying to become a cop, that was pretty much it. He just sat around the house and got on the computer pretty much all day. He's had a hard a time sleeping, he said but I think what got to me was that he was on his laptop when I get home from work, and on it when I wake up, in the living room.I let it slide for a few, though I think it's what drove me nuts. I even gave it some thought after going to DC over St Patrick's Day for a 3-day weekend with my new friend JD. Got back on the 19th, though I ended up not speaking to him about the issue until the 23rd. I really gave it some thought. Either that, or I can just be putting it off haha

23rd rolled around and I was still debating about telling Ry about it. I was getting ready for work, and there he was awake as usual. I had breakfast, and had about fifteen minutes before I leave for work. I was just standing in the kitchen debating whether I should tell him now, or wait til I get home at night. I doubt I probably would have so just went ahead and came out to the living room, and sat down and told him we needed to talk. Well it's more of a one-sided conversation, since it was mostly me saying how it'll be best for him to find a new place to live in. I'm not a confrontational guy obviously :) so I said that I'm having a harder time than I would have expected living with a stranger. As JD puts it, I could have just easily picked a man living in the street to come live with me for free. What I told Ry was true though in a sense, I did miss living alone. Just being able to go around the house in your undies, singing along to full blast music and dancing along, those kind of things (yep, I'm one of those people) I was a bit concerned about his safety too, since he told me about his friend getting shot at in the bus on her way home. I'm not sure what exactly went on but that's all I know. Gosh, that felt awkward telling him to leave. He was pretty much just nodding along, and letting out sighs here and there. I felt like I was breaking up with him!! Is that what it's like?

He actually didn't move out until last Thursday, the 31st. He was supposed to catch a bus for Illinois around 11 but apparently the trip would have been too long so he opted to just rent a car, which his friend there paid for. I got real upset when I came by during lunch and he hasn't left yet. I said my goodbyes before I went to work, and I felt a bit silly about it when I apparently would still see him. So that, I told him he can't be here when I got home from work (I just had a fixation of him being gone when I get off work, I wanted alone time that day so bad)

So I called the home phone 20 mins before I left work, and guess what, somebody was still in the house and answered it. I about have a fit heading out to the car so I just sat down for a bit to calm myself down. It worked, since I just figured I wouldn't say much when I see him, hold my tongue to part in good terms. I got real close to going off on him, when we were talking in the kitchen. He was telling me how he's gonna go up to Illinois and all I uttered was Whatever, just make sure you're gone tonight. Dishes weren't done, though he was on his computer again, when I got home. I was thinking up my speech too, how he's been awake all day, and hasn't even lifted a damn finger, how he's probably gonna be taking advantage of the person he'll be living with etc etc, just those unkind words you can say to someone. He said he finally got to sleep , after barely getting any sleep the past few days. I kinda felt bad for the guy, so I just thought, I'll just do the damn dishes. As much as I was pissed, I really didn't want it to end that way. Well just so I can be sure that he'll give me my money later on hahaha I know, I know it's no guarantee that he would do so, but I'm hoping that he'll help someone if a person gets into the situation he was in. Gah, why I can't just be pessimist? Stop believing there's good in everybody and all this feel-goodery, happy thoughts.

Well April kicked in and I'm living alone again. YEEEY. A good way to get Spring cleaning started, Cleared out my life with a person, finally unpacked all my stuff, giving away my things, and getting to clean the house again, it feels like a home now. Hmmm, guess Ry being here helped after all. If it wasn't for him I would not have gotten the whole place straightened out. Oh oh, here I go again, soon enough and I'll get blinded looking at the bright side.


Don't remember where I quoted it from, but kore:
"When you feel yourself getting angry, stop. Imagine yourself as having already exploded and you now feel wasted. For that's what happens when you get angry: your soul leaves you. Do this, and your anger is sure to dissolve."